Rail-joint.



J. A. GHAMBERS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1912.

1,045,946. 1 v Patented Dec.3,1912.

Inventor Attorneys PLANOGRAPH CCMWASNINOTON D C UNIT rnr anion.

JOI-IN A. CHAMBERS, 0F NEWBURG, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN R. CHAMBERS, 0F BANGERT, MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatentetl Dec. 3,1291% Application filed May 20, 1912. Serial No. 698,560.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, JOHN A. CHAMBERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Neuburg, in the county of Phelps and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints, its object being to provide improved means whereby adjoining rails may be securely connected so as to prevent lateral displacement, the ends of the rails being so supported as to prevent pounding by wheels passing thereover.

Another object is to provide a devlce of this character which can be readily applied and which will not readily become displaced.

ith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on line 21-3 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line C-D Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rail chair constituting a part of the joint. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the fish plates. Fig. 6 is a per spective view of one of the adjusting levers. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a bolt which may be used in connection with the levers.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference R designates portions of two rails and placed against the webs of these rails at the meeting ends thereof are fish plates 1 each of which fits snugly against the base flange and the head of the rail and has a bottom flange 2 adapted to rest on the base flange of the rail. These flanges 2 as well as the base flanges of the rails R are adapted to be seated between the upstanding side flange 3 of a rail chair 4, each flange 3 being provided, at its ends, with recesses 5 overhung by rounded projections 6. The

rails fit snugly upon the chair as shown in Fig. 3 and said chair is adapted to be bound tightly againstthe bottoms of the rails by adjusting levers of novel form. Preferably four of these levers are provided, said levers being located in pairs and being pivotally mounted upon bolts 7 which extend transversely through openings 8 in the fish plates 1 and through longitudinal slots 9 formed in the webs of the rails. The adjusting levers, which have been indicated at 10, are provided, under their pivots with rounded noses 11 adapted, when the levers are swung downwardly, to enter the recesses 5 and to bear upwardly upon the under surfaces of the projections 6. Thus it will be seen that these noses exert a lifting action upon the projections 6 and thereby serve to bind the chair 4: and the bottoms of the rails tightly together. In order that the parts may be held firmly while thus clamped together, an opening 12 is formed in the free end portion of each lever 10. If the apertured end of the lever is arranged above a tie such as shown at T, a spike 13 may be driven through the opening and into the tie so as thus to draw the free end portion of the lever toward the tie and cause the lever to draw the chair and the bottoms of the rails together. If, however, the free ends of the levers 10 are not located above the tie, a U-bolt such as shown at lat, can be extended transversely under the rail between the levers and the ends of the bolt inserted through the openings 12. uts 15 can be placed on the ends of the bolts and by tightening them thereon the levers can be adjusted so as to cause the chair and the rails to bind together.

In lieu of or in addition to the fastening means illustrated at 13 and lt, each lever 10 may be provided with a holding means consisting of a bolt 16 having one end eX- tended into the lever, as shown at 17 and its other end projected through an car 18 outstanding from the side of the chair 4. By tightening nut 19 on the bolt the lever can be shifted relatively to the chair so as topause said chair to bind tightly upon the rar s.

It is designed to utilize keys or similar fastening means for holding the bolts 7 in place as these are preferable to nuts commonly used in that they will not work loose after once being tightened. It is to be understood, however, that any desired form of fastening means may be utilized.

It has been found that by providing a rail joint such as herein described, the parts constituting the joint can be quickly taken apart or assembled but there is no danger of them becoming accidentally displaced. Furthermore the ends of the rails are rigidly supported and the pounding ordinarily produced by Wheels passing over a joint, is entirely eliminated.

What is claimed is 1. In a rail joint the combination with abutting rails and fish plates engaging opposite sides thereof and having laterally extending bottom flanges, of a chair extending under the rails and the fish plates and having upstanding side flanges, there being recesses in the ends of said flanges, adjusting levers pivotally mounted adjacent said chair and having projections for entering the recesses and exerting a lifting action upon the upper Walls thereof, and means for securing said levers against movement when adjusted.

2. In a rail joint the combination with abutting rails and fish plates engaging opposite sides thereof and having outstanding base flanges, of aohair extending under the fish plates and rails and having upstanding side flanges formed with end recesses, bolts extending transversely through the rails and fish plates, adjusting levers pivotally mounted on the bolts and having noses insertible into the recesses for exerting a lifting action upon the upper walls of the recesses during for supporting rails therebet-ween, said chair having upstanding side flanges formed with end recesses, adjusting levers pivotally mounted on the bolts and having noses insertible into the recesses, and means engaging the free end portions of the levers for holding said levers in adjusted positions.

4. A rail joint including fish plates, a rail chair extending thereunder and having upstanding side fianges formed with end projections, rail fastening devices extending transversely through the fish plates, adjusting levers pivotally mounted on said devices, each lever having a projection movable under one of the projections of the chair flanges for exerting a lifting action thereon, and means for securing the levers against movement subsequent to their adjustment.

5. A rail joint including fish plates, a rail chair extending thereunder and having upstanding side fianges formed with end projections, rail fastening devices extending transversely through the fish plates, adjusting levers pivotally mounted on said devices, each lever having a projection movable under one of the projections of the chair flanges for exerting a lifting action thereon, each of said levers having an aperture in its free end portion, and means extending through the apertured portion of the lever for holding said lever against move ment subsequent to its adjustment.

6. A rail joint including fish plates, a rail chair extending thereunder and having upstanding side flanges formed with end projections, rail fastening devices extending transversely through the fish plates, adjust ing levers pivotally mounted on said devices, each lever having a projection movable under one of-the projections of the chair flanges for exerting a lifting action thereon, and means engaging the free end portions of corresponding levers at opposite sides of the joint and adapted to extend under a rail, for holding the levers against movement subsequent to their adjustment.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. CHAMBERS.

Witnesses:

EVERETT DICKSON, W. F. DUNLOP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

